1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method for current control in a mobile terminal, and in particular, to a current control apparatus and method for supplying current in different amounts according to priority order when a current amount that is greater than a suppliable current capacity is required in a Dual-Band Dual-Mode (DBDM) terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a mobile terminal refers to a device for performing voice communication by communicating with a base station linked with a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) through a specific wireless frequency band allocated to a communication provider. This mobile terminal increasingly expands the coverage thereof as a terminal capable of processing multimedia data by performing a satellite broadcast or terrestrial broadcast listening function, MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3) music file reproducing function, and so on, in addition to its original function such as a voice communication function.
Particularly, as Internet usage becomes more popular, research and development in mobile communication technologies for enabling the mobile terminal to receive Internet services are actively being pursued. These Internet services are usually provided by connecting a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile terminal to the Internet linked with a base station. Accordingly, connection to the Internet through a base station in a CDMA scheme costs as much as voice communication.
Alternatively, Internet services may be provided through a device, which is mounted on the mobile terminal, capable of communicating with wideband wireless communication networks such as a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and a WiBro network.
A mobile terminal capable of operating in two or more communication modes is referred to as a Dual-Band Dual-Mode (DBDM) terminal. The DBDM terminal can support, for example, CDMA and WLAN communication modes or CDMA and WiBro communication modes.
A DBDM terminal capable of supporting CDMA and WLAN communication modes can provide CDMA communication and WLAN communication simultaneously in a weak electric field area where the CDMA communication requires high current consumption because the WLAN communication requires relatively lower current consumption than the CDMA communication. However, in a DBDM terminal capable of supporting CDMA and WiBro communication modes, when the DBDM terminal provides CDMA communication and WiBro communication simultaneously, WiBro communication requires high current consumption such that a total current amount required by the DBDM terminal can exceed the current capacity of a battery of the DBDM terminal.
In this case, when a communication mode operation starts during another communication mode operation, a total current amount required by a DBDM terminal suddenly increases. In other words, the total current amount is likely to be greater than the current capacity of a battery of a DBDM terminal.
Accordingly, when the total current amount exceeds the current capacity of the battery, one or both of two communication mode operations may be interrupted or the DBDM terminal may shutdown, thereby resulting in reduced battery life and malfunction of the DBDM terminal.
Consequently, there is needed an apparatus and method for solving the above-mentioned problem in a DBDM terminal.